5-HT1A receptor-mediated inhibition of N-type calcium current in acutely isolated ventromedial hypothalamic neuronal cells.

The effects of serotonin (5-hydroxytryptamine: 5-HT) and 5-HT1A agonist on voltage-gated calcium channels (VGCCs) in acutely isolated ventromedial hypothalamic (VMH) neuronal cells were studied using whole-cell configuration of the patch-clamp technique. 5-HT at 10 microM inhibited inward calcium current reversibly in 80% of cells. This inhibition was specific to N-type current. Because pindolol blocked the effect of 5-HT and 8-hydroxy-2-(di-n-propylamino)tetralin (8-OH-DPAT) mimicked the effect of 5-HT, the inhibitory effect of 5-HT appeared to be mediated via the 5-HT1A receptor. In the fura-2 fluorometry method, 8-OH-DPAT attenuated the [Ca2+]i increase induced by the depolarization stimulus of 50 mM K+. These results indicate that 5-HT suppresses Ca2+ entry through N-type channels in the VMH neurons via the 5-HT1A receptor and that the stimulating effect of 8-OH-DPAT on feeding behavior may be mediated by the blocking of Ca2+ entry through N-type channels.